San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-09-16
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER, IS, 1887.
TEXAS MAY READ AND LEARN.

Even Georgia has rubbed the dust out
of her eyes on the convict question.
State journals that have chsmpioned the
Infamous Glen bill for chain-ganging
teachers, as in the old anti-bellum days
draw the line at convict camp horrors
and will have none OF 1t upon their gar
ments. The Atlanta Constitution deliv-
ers m Ost scathing broadside at what II
calls "Our Convict Disgrace" The
brand which has literally SCARED the
flesh of so many convicts in that state
has at last burned itself into the inner
consciousness OF those who are measure
bly, responsible for the public opinion
OF that state and the senti-
ment is growing, as expressed
by DR.. Hsygood, "that 1t is
worth while to have decent respect for
the opinions Of mankind" The Atlanta
Constitution piles on the agony ,enumer-
stiDg the outrages perpetrated on con-
victs, and concludes with "woe be to
him who stands in the way of Georgia's
wrath when she rises to redeem her sui
lied reputation for humanity and mercy"
This language is particularly pointed in.
asmuch as the governor Of the state
works two or three plantations with
convict labor.
The Telegraph OF Macon Georgia is
not one whit behind the constitution
in probing this ulcer upon the vitals of
the body polite to the quick, and con-
cerniug the rights OF these cOnvicts and
the humanities of the whole question
says:
ITO be a convict and to labor without
hope day in and day out under the blue
skies OF heaven and in sight of the
smiling fields and fragrant woods and
by the familiar streams, yet with the
chain OF slavery upon ones limbs. is,
God knows, punishment enough for
most crimes. But when on top of these
Is laid the cruel lash, when men who are
as human as he whose hand pens or eyes
behold these lines are subjected to bOdi-
ly abuse and multilatiOn differing In
form only from that OF the Spanish in
QUESTION, when they are left to rot with
disease and burn with fevers, when the
fair face OF their mother earth is for
them turned into plague spot, and they
are inside to long for the refuge OF the
grave, guilty though they be, depraved,
abandoned, even lost to hope, we con-
TESS that the scene stirs US to bitter re-
bellion, and we blush when men call us
Georgians.
The ;humblest negro OF the convict
camp, the b-Ackest negro there, is en-
titled to good air, water, food, and hu-
name treatment. These are the inalIen-
able rights OF all men who are
suffered to live. The man who would
deprive one OF them of either IL better
fitted for the chains he would make
heavier. And yet the testimony is clear
that such wrongs are often committed
10 the name and under color Of authori-
ty from the people of Georgia. The
cries OF the unfortunate, echOIng up
ward and abroad, accuse the state in
the courts OF heaven and damn it in the
estimation Of all good men,"
Georgia's day Of dellverance draws
nigh. Texas may flatter herself that
she has not sinned so grievously and
needs not such words OF self accusing.
True. and yet Texas is by no means
guiltless, and her thoughtful ones know
that there is much to be done In the
way of convict amelioration and real
prison reform which Texas owes 1t to
herself to undertake, ard for which she
seems to be making no preparations.